The tree-trunk headstones are apparently an indication of Woodmen of the World membership. “An enduring physical legacy of the organization is distinctive headstones in the shape of a tree stump. This was an early benefit of Woodmen of the World membership, and they are found in cemeteries nationwide. This program was abandoned in the late 1920s as it was too costly. Typically the headstones would include a depiction of the WOW relics and symbols of the organization.”

I tried to walk ‘around’ graves as much as I could, but it was difficult to tell where one grave ended and another began with no clear markers beyond headstones.

I remember the apartment complex going up, and at that time felt weird about people wanting to live near this spiritual vortex, but decades later it doesn’t seem to have creepy energy to me.

Having your final resting place near the lake is lovely though.

It was a hot summer day, and the tree disease took most of the shade from this lovely park, but nonetheless I spent 90 minutes strolling and looking. It may not have been a brisk walk, but it definitely worked toward my exercise goal.